Military

Quentin Tarantino reigns himself in after "Grindhouse" and the "Kill Bill" movies to make a more ordered and even more entertaining World War II picture that audaciously rewrites history as it sees fit.

Brad Pitt is effective as Lt. Aldo Raine, leader of the Inglourious Basterds, an army outfit whose military connection seems fishy at best. The Jewish troupe is an entity of their own, the best of the best at killing Nazis. Pitt is quite matter-of-fact about each Basterd collecting 100 Nazi scalps.

This is a film lover's film.

Is there a more derivative major filmmaker than Brian De Palma? From "Scarface" to "The Black Dahlia," De Palma's career has consistently been marred by a willingness to purloin elements of other, better directors' style to fit his own films. With the exception of "The Untouchables," every one of De Palma's movies has been an exercise in lazy homages and borderline plagiarism.

Given the director's history, "Casualties of War," De Palma's follow-up to "Untouchables," is something of a surprise.

George C. Scott rips through the screen as the real-life dirty-talking, war-loving, yet religious General George Patton. Never has anyone craved being in the midst of war than Patton. He was a by-the-book general, who followed all the minor details like always wearing his helmet, but broke the major ones like forcing himself through forbidden territories during war.

Only Patton would see the British Allies as competition (WWII), racing to conquer cities such as Messina, Italy before they had the chance to march in.